Automatic wire tying mechanism



P 19, 1939. F. J. TRIMBLE 2,173,403

AUTOMATIC WIRE 'I'YING MECHANIS M Filed Feb. 6, 1934 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 NVEN 0R 0 J B/MBLE INVENTOR Sept. 19, 1939. F. J. TRIMBLE AUTOMATIC WIRE- TYING MECHANISM 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 6, 1934 1 650 JTk/MBLE W kl ATTORNEK Sept. 19, 1939. F, J. TRiMBLE z wzmm AUTOMATIC WIRE TYiNG MECHANISM Filed Feb 6, 1954 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 I-NVENTOR F950 J TE/MBLE Sept. 19, 1939. F. J. TRIMBLE AUTOMATIC WIRE TYING MECHANISM 8 Sheets- Sheet 8 Filed Feb. 6, 1934 INVENTOR et-0 JTP/MBLE ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 19, 1939 AUTOMATIC WIRE TYING MECHANISM Fred J. Trimble, Maywood, Calif" assignor to The American Brake Shoe and Foundry Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application February 6, 1934, ,Serial No. 709,957

14 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for tying wires such as baling wires and for the sake of convenience I have shown my wire tying apparatus associated with a baling press wherein a plurality of baling wires are automatically tied about a bale oi. hay when. the same has been formed; but it is to be understood that my wire tying apparatus or mechanism may be used for tying a single or a plurality of .wires about other articles, packages or boxes.

An object of my invention is to provide a simple, novel, efficient and compact mechanism for tying wire, such as baling wire, about an article, as for example, a bale of hay, or the like.

An object is to provide novel wire tying mechanism which is simple and of such compact character that a plurality of wires may be simultaneously tied about an article, bundle or package to be tied.

An object is to provide novel wire tying mechanism that may be associated with hay balers whereby a plurality of wires may be automatically tied about a bale of hay when such bale has been formed by the hay baler to a predetermined length or density.

Another object is to provide novel and simple mechanism whereby the free ends of a wire encircling an object may be securely tied or twisted together into a knot or about each other without leaving the free ends of the wire projecting from the twisted portions.

.Another object is to provide a simple, compact, eillcient and novel mechanism whereby an object may be forced against strands of wire that extend from spools or reels of such wire and the ends of which have been tied together, so that such wire will encircle three sides of such object, and to then bring such strands of wire tautly around such object and cut the wiresand'tie the free ends thereof together so as to leave a wire encircling such object and at the same time tie the free ends of the wires from the supply spools or reels together so as to present a united strand of wire against which a subsequent object may be forced.

A still further object is to provide novel means for taking wire from supply spools and binding therewith each article to be bound, severing the wire, and then tying the free ends of the wire about the article to be bound, and at the same time tying together the free ends of the wires from the supply spools and leave such wire in position to be bound around another article.

A still further object is to provide novel wire tying mechanism of the above character which will cut the wire to be tied about an article, and efliciently tie or twist the free ends of the wire together without clipping ofi a portion of the wire strand that may contaminate the article being tied or clog the mechanism.

The invention includes in addition to the parts and combinations of parts; the novel means for tying the free ends of wires about an article to be tied and at the same time tying together the free ends of strands of wire from separate supply spools so as to enable such wire to be engaged by and tied around, a succeeding article to be tied.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may I appear from the accompanying drawings, the sub-joined detail description and the appended claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the in-' vention as applied to a hay baler and'illustrate my novel wire tying mechanism in the form I at present deem preferable.

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a baling press provided with my wire tying mechanism or apparatus and with the stoking element in the down position and the wire tying apparatus in inoperative position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line 22, Fig. l, but showing the mutilated helical gear rotated from the position shown in Fig. 1, so as to more fully disclose the operative relation of the parts.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on line 33, Fig. 11, showing the wire tying mechanism in withdrawn or retracted position, and showing the operating mechanism for moving the wire tying elements into tying position. Parts are broken away to contract the view and to disclose parts otherwise hidden.

Fig. 3a is a sectional view on line 3a-3a, Fig. 3, showing the drive connection for the wire tying fingers.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail view taken on line 4-4, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view taken on irregular line 5-5, Fig. 3. The control cam of the trip mechanism having been rotated to a position where it is about to release associated parts to permit operation of the wire tying mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan detail view of the control cam of the trip mechanism in position just after release of the operating mechanism for the wire tying elements so as to permit operation of the wire tying mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a view analogous to Fig. 6 but with the control cam rotated to an intermediate position between that shown in Figs. 5 and 6 to illustrate onecam on the control cam, and in which position the wire tying mechanism is in retracted position.

Fig. 8 is a face view of the control cam as viewed on line 8-8, Fig. 7 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on a plane indicated by irregular line 9-9, Fig. 3, and showing the wire tying mechanism in retracted position. Parts are broken away to contract the view, and dotted lines indicate the united ends of the wire strands partially extended along the press box, as by a contacting article, not shown.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the press box, and associated parts, and showing the operating mechanism for the wire tying mechanism in position just previous to being moved into position for a wire tying operation. The compression plunger having been moved to retracted position, and not shown.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view with the compression plunger in its extreme forward position and with the operating mechanism in position to commence a wire tying operation.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view of the operating mechanism analogous to the lower part of Fig. 11, but with the parts in position after a wire tying operation has been completed and just previous to the operating mechanism for the wire tying elements being withdrawn from operating position.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view on line |3-|3, Fig. 11.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary sectional view on line |4|4, Fig. 11, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary sectional detail view in plan and taken on line l5|5, Fig. 12.

Fig. 15a is a detail edge view of the operating cam members for the wire tying mechanism, as

viewed on line |5a|5a, Fig. 12.

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view partly in elevation, showing the means for operating the trip mechanism.

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on line Fig. 16, and showing a fragment of a bale of hay.

Fig. 18 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the wire tying mechanism and in position to commence a wire twisting operation.

Fig. 19 is an edge elevational view of the parts shown in Fig. 18.

Fig. 20 is a. sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 18, as taken on line 20-20, Fig. 18.

Fig. 21 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2|2|, Fig. 19.

Fig. 22 is a detail view of the compression plunger, partly in plan and partly in section.

Fig. 23 is a more or less diagrammatic perspective view of the wire twisting fingers and in position shortly after a wire twisting operation has commenced.

'Fig. 24 is a perspective: view of the knot or wire tie formed by my wire tying mechanism.

designates a baling-press of ordinary or preferred type, consisting in the present instance of a press-box or baling case 2, having a feed open-- ing 3, a hopper 4, an adjusting device 5 for regulating the density of the bales, a driven cog wheel 6, a compression plunger 1 connected to the cog wheel 6 by pitrnan 8, and a stoker 9 connected to cog wheel 6 by a walking beam l0 and link II. The press is also provided with the carryingwheels I2 and driving pulley I3, to which poweris transmitted over the belt M from any suitable source, said pulley l3 being connected in any suitable manner to drive cog wheel 6 at the proper speed.

The cog wheel 6 is fixed to shaft l5 to which a mutilated helical gear I6 is fixed by a key I? and such gear l6 meshes with a pinion I8 fixed to one end of shaft l9 journalled in bearings 20 that extend from the frame 2| of the press. A bevel gear 22 is fixed to the other end of shaft I9 and is in mesh with a bevel gear 23 fixed to shaft 24 and thereby provides power to drive the mechanism connected to shaft 24 as hereinafter explained.

The pinion I8 is provided with a slot 25 in which a tooth 26 on gear I6 is received to lock the shaft IS in a predetermined position so that operation of the mechanism connected to shaft 24 is obtained only at predetermined timed relation and intervals relative to the cog wheel 6 and its associated plunger 1 and stoker 9, and thereby with the helical gear portion 21 on gear |6 cooperating with the pinion I8 I obtain a locked intermittent motion relative to such plunger and stoker.

28 designates a pair of spools mounted in a pair of brackets 29 secured to the side of a balingcase. A plurality or a pair of spools 28 and a plurality or a pair of brackets 29 are mounted on each side of the baling-case, and it is to be understood that a spool is mounted on opposite sides of the baling-case for each wire to be tied about an article. Said spools carry wires 30 from which the bale-ties for binding the articles or bales are cut. The free ends of each of said wires from opposite spools are run through or around a guide member 3| (see Fig. 9) and through the wire twisting members as hereinafter described and thence transversely through the press-box where they are joined together in a secure knot.

The material a to be compressed is inserted into the hopper 4 from which stoker 9 forces the same into compression chamber 32 and is operated upon in the usual manner by the compression plunger 1 and forced along such chamber 32 in the direction of the arrow 33 (Fig. 9) toward the discharge end 34 of the press box.

As the bale is forced along the press box it comes into contact with the tined chain 35 (Figs. 16 and Y17) which is trained around sprocket wheels 36, 31 respectively mounted on shafts 38- 39 journalled in bearings 40, 4| secured to the frame 2|. The shaft 39 has a worm gear 42 fixed to one end thereof and in mesh with a worm wheel 43 that is fixed to shaft 44 journalled in a suitable bearing 45. Shaft 44 is extended along the frame 2| underneath the press box through chamber 46 formed by the housing 4'| connected to frame 2| and which housing encloses the operating mechanism mounted therein and protects the same from foreign elements. At the other end of shaft 44 a bevel gear 48 is fixed thereto which is in mesh with bevel gear 50 fixed to shaft 5| mounted in bearing 52 and the shaft 5| is connected to drive shaft 53 by bevel gears 54 secured to shafts 5| and 53.

A control mechanism A including an intermittently operated member 55 fixed to shaft 53 and provided on its face 56 with a cam recess 51 and a raised cam portion 58, the actions and opthe press box by the progressive action of the stoker and plunger, that the tined chain 35 will be engaged by such bale or hay as it is forced along the baling chamber 32' and through the mechanism associated with the chain 35 the cam member 55 will be intermittently rotated so as to present the cam portions thereon relative to its associated trip mechanism at predetermined points relative to the length of the bale of hay formed in the baling chamber.

The cam member 55 has associated therewith cooperative trip mechanism which is subject to the control of cam member 55 and includes a sliding bar 66 mounted in guides 6| that are secured to transversely extending I-beams 62 of the frame 2|. An extensible spring 63 is secured at one end to bar 66 and at its other end to the framework 21 and tends to normally urge or pull the sliding bar 66 and the contact finger 64 which is secured to sliding bar 66 in a direction so that the free end of contact finger 64 engages the fiat surface or face 56 of cam member 55 and forces such contact finger into the cam recess 51 when such recess 51 presents itself to permit such operation, as is shown in Fig. 11.

As the sliding bar 66 is moved by spring 63 upon the contact finger 64 entering the cam recess 51 such movement will also move the bell crank 65 that is pivoted at 66 to the slide bar 66 along with the slide bar 66 so as to position the free end 61 of bell crank 65 that is provided with a roller contact point 68, in position to be acted upon by cam 69 as hereinafter set forth. One end of bell crank 65 is forked and provided with rollers 16 which are received in a groove 1| formed on theslidable operating cam member 12. When the contact finger 64 is received in recess 51 the slide bar 66 is moved by spring 63 to position the roller contact 68 in the path of, and to be engaged by cam 69.

As the helical gear portion 21 on gear 16 is moved by the driving pulley 13 it will engage pinion l8 and operate shafts l9 and 24 which latter shaft 24 is connected by bevel gears 13 to operate shaft 14 mounted in suitable bearings in frame'2l and which is connected by bevel gears 15 to operate shaft 16 to which cam 69 is fixed.

The cam 69 is constructed to operate during a one-eighth revolution of shafts 14 and 16 and the helical gear portion 21 and pinion l8 and connecting bevel gears 22, 23, 13 and 15 are constructed to rotate the shafts 14 and 16 a complete revolution during engagement of the gear portion 21 with pinion l8.

When the slide bar 66 has been movedby spring 63 as before stated after contact finger 64 has entered recess 51 the cam 69 will engage the roller contact point 68 and move bell crank 65 about its pivot 66 and also move the slidable operating cam member 12 along shaft 14 to which it is rotatably related by means of the sliding key fit 11. Such movement of member 12 along shaft 14 is against tension of a compression spring 18 that is weaker than spring 63.

As operating cam member 12 is moved along shaft 14 by depressing bell crank 65 by cam 69 the parts are correlated so that a recess 19 in a collar 86 is presented to permit such collar 86 to be moved from one side of a retaining member 8| to the other side thereof where a roller 82 on member 81 engages collar 86 to prevent retraction of the operating cam member 12 until its operation has been completed and to also relieve I strain on bell crank 65 and release such bell crank and slide bar 66 for further operation to permit the slide bar 66 to be returned to position where bell crank'65 will be held out of operative contact with cam 69 before the cam member 12 has completed its operation.

The return of slide bar 66 against tension of spring 63 is accomplished by a cam tapered lug or projection 83 on member 12 coming into contact with roller 84 on one end of lever 85 which is pivoted at 86 to a support 81 that is fixed to frame 21. The other end of lever 85 is extended to engage a stop or lug 88 fixed to slide bar 66, so that as member 12 is rotated by shaft 14 the projection 83 will engage roller 84 and move lever 85 about its pivot and force slide bar 66 along its bearings so as to bring contact finger 64 out of recess 51.

A spring 88' tends to normally keep the lever 85 in contact with lug 88 and to keep the roller 84 out of contact with cam 83 until such cam 83 is required to operate upon lever 85.

In the trip mechanism, when the contact finger.

was first received in the recess 51, a slide bar retaining member 89 pivoted intermediate its ends at 96 to retaining finger 64, is at right angles to such finger 64, as shown in Fig. 5. At one end of member 89 is an upstanding portion that contacts (as hereinafter described) with the face 56 and raised cam portion 58 of cam member 55, all within the radius of such face 56 contacted by finger 64. The retaining member 89 is provided with an upstanding pin 92 which when the retaining finger 64 is received in recess 51 is" moved past the tapered free end 93 of spring 94 (see Fi 6) which is fixed to the frame 2|.

The other end of member 89 is pivotally connected to one end 95 of a toggle connection 96 which is actuated by spring 91 encircling rod 98 that has a sliding connection with post 99 fixed to a support I66 that extends from or is secured member 89 into parallelism with finger 64 as shown in Figs. '1 and 12, so that upon release of the retractive movement of slide bar 66 by disengagement of roller 84 and cam 83 the upstanding portion 9| of retaining member 89 will engage the face 56 of cam member and prevent contact finger 64 from again entering recess 51 until such recess has been moved a complete revolution by a subsequent bale contacting the tine chain 35 and thereby moving its associated mechanism.

However, as such subsequent bale moves the tined chain 35 and its associated mechanism to rotate cam member 55, the raised cam portion 58, after the recess 51 is moved to prevent contact finger 64 from entering recess 51, will engage the upstanding portion 9| of retaining member 89, during rotation of cam member 55, and force such retaining member 89 about its pivot 96 until the toggle connection 96 will actuate the member 89 to assume its position at right angles to the contact finger 64 as shown in Figs. 5, 10 and 11, and at which instant the contact finger 64 will engage the face 56 of cam member 55 and prevent movement of slide bar 60 until the recess 51 has again presented itself to finger 64 after which the operation hereinabove described as pertaining to said parts will be repeated.

The operating cam member 12 is provided with opposed cam surfaces I02, I03 that engage roller supplied free ends I04, I05 of bell cranks I06, I01, pivoted at I08, I09 to frame 2| and the other ends of which bell cranks are connected at IIO, III to move the wire tying elements into wire tying position.

The bell cranks I06, I01 are connected to one end of adjustable rods H2, H3 at IIO, III and the other ends of said rods are connected to levers I I4, II5 that are pivoted intermediate their ends at H6, H1 to supports II8, II9 that extend from opposite sides of frame 2I. The levers II4 may extend below supports H6, H1 and be connected to springs I20, I2I that extend from supports H8, H9 and normally urge the levers H4, H5 to a retracted position and maintain the roller ends I04, I05 of the bell cranks I06, I01 in engagement with the cam surfaces of the cams I02, I03.

Levers H4, H5 are connected to cross-bars I22, I23 through pivotally connected links I24, I25 and one or a plurality of complementary wire tying elements I26, I26 may be connected to each cross-bar I 22, I23, as desired. In this respect, one element I26 and one element I26 are reciprocably mounted on opposite sides of the baling chamber 32' or on opposite sides of a passageway 32 in which the article or bundle to be tied is moved so as to engage the wire strand or strands that extend across such passageway, as shown in Figs. 3 and 9.

As the construction of each wire tying element I26, I26 is identical, except for the fact that the elements I26 are mounted inversely to the mouning of the elements I26, only one-element will be described in detail for the sake of brevity and like characters will be applied to like parts. By reason of making the complemental elements identical in construction and merely mounting one element on one side of the passageway inversely to the mounting of the element on the other side of such passogeway I thereby simplify the construction of my invention.

The wire tying elements I26, I26 include carrier members I21 each of which has a T-plate I21 secured to one side thereof by bolts I28 and the extending arms or ribs I28 of T-plate I21 are slidably mounted in guideways I29 formed by plates I30 secured by screws I3I to a supporting member I32 that is fixed by bolts I33 to a plate I34 that is secured by bolts I35 to upright angleirons I36, I36 that form part of a framework I31 that is built-up on each side of the passageway 32' from frame 2I 'to support the wire tying elements in proper position. Bearing plates I38 are secured by bolts I38 to uprights I36 and by bolts I40 to plate I34. A shaft MI is slidably extended through each bifurcated lug I42 of bearing plate I38 and such shaft has a splined connection with a driven spiral gear I43 that is mounted between the lugs I42 and such gear I43 is in mesh with a driving spiral gear I44 which is fixed to shaft I45 mounted at one end in bearing plate I38. The other end of one shaft I45 is provided with a bevel gear I46, in mesh with bevel gear I41 (see Figs. 3 and 5) that is fixed to shaft I48, mounted in bearing I48 which extends from frame 2I. Shaft I48 is driven by means of bevel gears I50, shaft I5I mounted in bearings I52, bevel gears I53. shaft I54, bevel gear I55 in mesh with bevel gear I56 that is fixed to one end of shaft I51 that is provided at its other end with a stub gear I58 and collar I58 and which gear I58 isengaged by a mutilated gear portion I60 and collar I59 is received in a recess I6I, both formed on operating cam member 12. I

A suitable gear drive I62, (Fig. 3a) is provided to drive shafts I4I in unison from the single driving power applied to either of shafts I45.

The cross bars I22, I23, are connected to the carrier member I21 in any suitable manner as by the bifurcated lugs I63 that straddle member I21 and are riveted or bolted thereto.

Each of the shafts I4I are mounted in bearings I64 fixed to each end of carrier member I21 and are provided at one end with a gear I65 and at its other end with a collar I66 and such gear I65 and collar I66 maintain the shaft I4I in longitudinal relation to the carrier I21.

Rotatable sleeve shafts I61, I61 are mounted in bearings I68, I68 fixed on each of the carriers I21 and at the inner end thereof. The sleeves I68 which are on the side of carrier I21 to which the article to be tied is moved to tying position, are open sided or provided with slots I69. A gear I10 is fixed to one end of the sleeve shafts on one side of its respective bearing I68 and the other end of the sleeve shafts are provided on the other side of bearing I68 with wire engaging and twisting fingers I1I that are forked as at I12, and the innermost finger I12 is raised from the periphery of the member from which It is formed so that it protrudes from such periphery so as to pick up the wires, as hereinafter explained.

The gears I10 and fingers I1I maintain the sleeve shafts in longitudinal relation to its bearing I68, and the gears I10 are in mesh with gears I65 which rotate the sleeve shafts therewith.

At the inner or free end of carrier member I21 a wire engaging and tensioning plate I13 is slidably mounted on shoulder bolts I14 that extend through slots I15 into carrier member I21. A spring I16 operating between a stop or lug I11 extending from member I21, and an upstanding end I18 on plate I13, tends to normally urge said plate I13 toward the free end of member I21. The spring H6 is carried on and encircles a pin I18 that is fixed to the upstanding end I18 of plate I13 by nuts I80, and such pin has a slide fit in lug or stop I11. The plate I13 is provided at its end opposite the upstanding end I18 with a wire engaging surface I8I in the form of an upstanding end of plate I13.

A wire cutting knife I82 is fixed to carrier member I21 by bolts I83 and extends through the upstanding wire engaging end I8I of plate I13 when such plate I13 is moved against tension of spring I16, as hereinafter explained. The knife I82 cooperates with a shearing edge I84 formed in the opposite complementary wire tying carrier member I 21, and severs the baling wire 30 when the wire tying elements are brought together as shown in Figs. 18-20.

At the free end of the carrier member I21 I also provide wire engaging and angling rollers I85 which are preferably four in number pivotally mounted on axes I86 formed by bolts that extend through plates I81 mounted on and secured to opposite sides of the free end of carrier member I21 by a plurality of bolts I88. The rollers I85 are preferably arranged so that two of such rollers are offset from the longitudinal sides of member I21 so that their peripheries will be 7| tangent to the axes of sleeve shafts I61 that are provided with openings I89, I89 through which the wires 30 are extended. The opening I89 is open sided or slotted as at I90 analogous to the slotted or open sided bearing I91. And when the carrier members I21 are brought together the said offset rollers on complementary carriers are in juxtaposition relative to each other. The other rollers I85 are. in spaced relation lengthwise of the carrier members I21 relative to said offset rollers and the plates I81 are notched as at I 9I to form an opening in which finger I12 may travel to engage and pick up the wire 30 that has been run around rollers I85 and by reference to Fig. 18 it will be seen that such wire 30 will extend from the offset rollers around the lengthwise spaced rollers and across the notched portions I9I at substantially a forty-five degree angle relative to the longitudinal medial axis of carrier member I21 or shafts I61.

The compression plunger 1 is preferably provided on opposite sides with slide guide projections I92 that are received in slots and guideways I93 formed on each longitudinal side wall I94 of the compression chamber 32. Rockably mounted in plunger I are a plurality of members I95 that have rollers I96 secured to opposite ends thereof and which rollers I96 are mounted in the cam grooves or slots I91 formed in sidewall I94. A dog nose screw I98 extends from the rear of plunger 1 into a groove I99 formed in rockable members I95 and tends to retain members I95 in plunger 1 and also form a stop for limiting oscillation of members I 95. The members I95 are each provided with a groove or slot 200 that extends throughout the length of the member I95 and coincides with an opening 20! in back side wall I94 when the plunger 1 has been moved to its foremost compressing position, and the wire tying elements are inserted through opening 20I and slot 200 when the plunger has reached the end of its compression stroke and a wire tying operation is desired.

The members I95 extend through the face 202 of plunger 1 and the openings 200 are slotted as ciprocated by pitman 8 that the rollers I96 operating in grooves I91 will oscillate members I95 through the cam action of such rollers I96 and the inclined or cam surfaces 204 in grooves I91 so that when the plunger 1 is in rear of such cam 5 surfaces 204, the members I95 will close the face of the plunger 1 and thereby present a solid surface which will operate upon the hay to be compressed, until the plunger has nearly reached the end of its compression stroke when the cam surfaces 204 acting upon rollers I96 will oscillate or rock members I95 into the position shown in Fig. 11. It will be understood that the length of the straight portion 205 of groove I91 will determine the length of time the slots 203 are presented to the face of the plunger, and if such portions 205 are shortened the slots 203 will be presented to the baling chamber 32' only throughout a very short space of time.

By reference to Figs. 9. l and 11 it will be seen that I have provided the baling chamber 32', at the point'where the plunger 1 reaches the end of its compression stroke, with a chamfered or beveled edge 206 that flares outwardly from the compression chamber 32, in which the plunger 1 operates. This beveled edge 206 slightly increases the cross-sectional area of the baling chamber 32' from the compression chamber 32 and will permit hay forced into the baling chamber 32' by plunger 1 to slightly expand and when the plunger 1 is retracted the hay in baling chamber 32' will engage such beveled edge 286 and thus tend to prevent its material bulging back intocompression chamber upon withdrawal of the plunger from the hay preparatory to another compression stroke. 7

In operation the wire strands from'spools 28 are first threaded through the guides 3| and thence through the sleeve shafts I61 that are provided with the slotted openings I89 thence across the compression chamber 32 where they are at first tied together by hand, so as to present a united strand of wire that extends across the passageway in which the article to be tied is moved. Thereafter as the article to be tied is moved along the passageway 32', such as by the compression of hay by the compression plunger 1 into a bale of hay, the wire strands 30 will be forced around three sides of the bale of hay, or article to be tied, and will assume the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9, and as the wire 30 from the spools of wire 28 is unwound therefrom, the same will be under a. predetermined tension, occasioned by tensioning means not shown, and it will be noted that the wire will extend across the notched portions I9I in plates I81, as indicated in Fig. 18, and in dotted lines in Fig. 9. As the bale of hay is moved toward the delivery end of the hay baler the tine chain '35 will be moved, as hereinbefore indicated, so that when the bale of hay has reached a predetermined length the recess 51 on cam member 55 will be presented to permit operation of the slide bar 50, as hereinbefore stated, and the mutilated gear 26 is positioned relative to the shaft I5 so that the helical gear portion 21 thereon will operate pinion I8 only when the compression plunger 1 has approximated the end of its compression stroke. In other words, when the gear portion 21 has engaged pinion I8 so as to rotate pinion I8 a full turn the compression plunger 1 will be at its extreme forward position so that as the pitman 8 is going over its dead center at such position the pinion I8 will be rotated; and thereby only slight, if any, reciprocal movement of plunger 1 will be obtained during rotation of pinion I8.

After the slide bar 60 has been operated, as hereinbefore stated, engagement of gear 21 with pinion I8 will rotate the operating cam member 12 one complete revolution and at the commencement of such revolution the cam 69 will be positioned so as to just commence its engagement with roller contact 68 of bell crank 65, and throughout the first one-eighth movement of operating cam member 12, bell crank 65 will be moved about its pivot 66 to force operating cam member 12 along shaft 14 as hereinbefore stated.

This slidable movement of member 12 on shaft 14 will position the opposed cam surfaces I02 and I03 in position to engage the ends I04, I05 of bell cranks I06, I01 and further rotation of member 12 will depress the free ends of bell cranks I06, I01 against tension of the springs I20, I2 l, so as to move the complementary wire tying elements toward each other until such elements assume the positions shown in Figs. 1820; and at which position of member 12 on shaft 14, the mutilated gear portion I 60 on member 12 will engage the stub gear I58 and the ratio between such gears I58 and I60 is such that the sleeve shafts I61 will, through their intermediate gear connections with gear I60, be rotated a sufficient number of times to effectively complete the wire twisting and tying operation. In this respect, the recess 19 in collar and the opposed cam surfaces I02, I03 and the mutilated gear I60, all on cam operating member 12, are so co-related to each other that during the first one-eighth revolution of such cam member the cam member 12 will'be moved along shaft 14 to bring such parts thereon into operative relation withstub gear I58 and with ends I04, I05 of the bell cranks I06, I01 and during the next one-fourth revolution, the wire tying elements will be moved inwardly toward each other, then during the next one-fourth revolution of cam member 12 the sleeve shafts I61 will be rotated and during such operation of sleeve shafts I61 an idle or dwell portion is formed on cams I02, I03 to prevent further reciprocal movement of the wire tying elements, and then during the next one-fourth revolution of member .12 the wire .tying elements will be withdrawn'fromtheir extended position across the passageway 32, and then during the next one-eighth revolution the member 12 will be moved along shaft 14 by operation of spring 18, and during such last operation the retaining member 8I will be passed through recess 19 in collar 80 and thereby withdraw the cams I02, I03 from engagement with bell cranks I06, I01 and withdraw the mutilated gear I60 from the path of engagement with the stub gear I58, so that further operation of shaft 14 by engagement of the mutilated gear portion 21 with pinion I8 may rotate operating cam member 12 without effecting operation of the wire tying elements. 7

When the member 12 has been moved along shaft 14 into operative position and the wire tying elements have been moved toward each other so that they assume the position shown in Figs. 18-20, such movement of the wire tying elements transversely of passageway 32 will occasion the wire 30 that has encircled the bale of hay, or article to be tied, to be engaged by certain of the rollers I so that such wire is extended from the wire supply spool around the end of one complementary wire tying element and over the rollers I85 carried thereby, and thence along the longitudinal side of the wire'tying element andfaround the bale of hay. In other words the wire tying element when moved to wire tying position will form a U-loop b in the wire between its source of supply and the article to be tied and at the base 0 of such loop the wire will be extended across the notched portions I9I so that the wire will lie at substantially a 45 angle d to the upright sides e forming the U-loop b in the wire.

As the wire tying elements reach a position so that their ends are adjacent each other in slightly overlapped position, as shown in Fig. 20, the plate I13 on one member will engage the wire extended around the free end of the complementary wire tying carrier member I21 and frictionally hold such wire between its upstanding and/or wire engaging surface I8I and the end of the wire tying element carrier member I21. Further movement of the wire tying carrier members I21 toward each other will cause the knife I82 to engage the wire 30 and cut the same on the shearing edge I84, as shown in Fig. 18.

After this wire looping, engagement and cutting operation has been performed, the mutilated gear I60 becomes engaged with the stub gear I58 and the sleeve shafts I61, .I61' rotated by means of the driving power applied to gears I10 by the gears I65, will rotate the extended fingers I12 and such fingers-I12 will travel in the notches I9I and pick up the wire extended at an angle thereacross and twist the free ends thereof around each other until such free ends have been completely twisted or wrapped around each other In the manner shown in Fig. 24.

The tension plate I8I retains the free ends of wire 30 under tension so that the wire twisting or tying fingers 'will' effectively and efficiently twist the ends together in a tight knot. As the wire 30 when it is picked up by the extending fingers I12 is forced into the notches I12 the wire is extended away from the free ends of the fingers HI and due to that fact and the relative stiffness of the wire the free ends will be completely wrapped or twisted around an opposing wire without leaving free ends thereof protruding from the knot.

As the wire tying elements are removed from cooperative position with each other a strand of wire has been tied about the article to be tied and a strand of wire is left extending across the passageway in position to be engaged by a succeeding article to be tied.

From the foregoing it will be seen that it is not necessary to slot the sleeve shaft I61 or its associated bearing and gear I10, because such elements merely ride over the extended wire 38 from its supply spool, but the sleeve shaft I61 and its associated bearing I68 and gear I10 and which are adjacent the article being tied are slotted, as at I69 and I90, so as to permit the wire tied about the article or bale of hay to be withdrawn from the wire tying elements when the tied article is removed.

It will also be seen from the foregoing that the compression plunger 1 is at the end of its compression stroke when the wire tying elements have been moved to wire tying position, and the rockable members I95 have been moved, by their associated rollers I96 engaging cam grooves or slots I91, into the position shown in Fig. 11 so as to enable the wire tying elements to be passed thereinto, and the ends of the wire that have been united from the supply spools as just recited will pass through the openings 200 and slots 203 as the compression plunger is reciprocated to the beginning of its compression stroke.

From the foregoing it will be seen that during a wire tying operation, I cut the wire from supply spools and tie the free ends of such wire about an article to be tied, and also at the same time tie together the ends of such wire from the supply spools so as to form a united and connected strand of wire that extends across a passageway along which an article to be tied is moved,

and all of such wire tying operations, as in the case of the hay baler herein illustrated, are accomplished within thecompression plunger of the hay baler.

It will be apparent thta if the compression plunger and the rockable members I95 mounted therein are made of greater thickness so that the longitudinal slots 200 formed in members I95 may be of greater width than that shown, the accuracy in timing need not be so precise because if such slots 200 are of greater width the plunger may override the gears for a distance equivalent to the width of the slots 200 without danger to the inserted mechanism.

The slots in the sleeve shafts I61 and bearing I68 are so gear related that the sleeve shaft I61 will always come to rest with its slot I in juxtaposition to the slot I69 in its associated bearing, and the slot in the gear I10 associated therewith is preferably at the root of a gear tooth so as not to interfere with uniform and accurate operation of co-related gears.

The means that is provided for causing the sleeve shafts I61 to come torest with its slot I90 in juxtaposition to the slot I09 in its associated bearing IE8 is that the collar I59 which is in fixed relation with shaft I! is provided with an arcuate portion 299 that fits the periphery of the cylindrical member 290 of cam operating member 12, and on which the mutilated gear portion I50 is formed, and in which recess IBI is provided, so that when the operating cam member I2 is moved by bell crank 65 into operating position, and the gear portion I60 engages the stub gear I58, the collar I59 will be received in, and be free to rotate in the recess I6 I, and as soon as the mutilated gear portion I60 is out of contact with stub gear I58 the arcuate recessed portion 209 will coincide with the periphery of the cylindrical member 298 and thereby lock shaft I51 and its associated parts against rotation until the mutilated gear portion I60 is again moved into position to contact and rotate the stub gear I50.

From the foregoing it will be seen, and particularly by reference to Figs. 18-20 and 23, that the wire tying carrier members when moved toward each other are brought into abutting and overlapping relation with respect to the free ends thereof and such wire tying carrier members will move the loop of wire b so that each respective base 0 of such loop will be extended beyond each other thereby crossing the wires from opposite supply spools so that the free ends thereof, after the same have been cut by the knife I82, will be positioned in overlapping relation relative to each other and the extended wire tying pick-up fingers "2' on one wire tying member I21 will pass through the notches IBI formed on the opposite wire tying carrier member and pick-up the wire angled as at d across such notched portions I9I on the opposite wire tying carrier member I21 so that when the free ends of the wire from the wire supply spools are twisted about the upright sides e which form the U-loop b the wire strands 30 will be extended across each other and then twisted therearound into the position shown in Fig. 24.

I claim:

1. In a wire tying device, slidably mounted carrier members adapted to be brought into abutting and overlapping position at the cooperative ends thereof; wire tying fingers rotatably mounted on said carrier members; means for rotating said wire tying fingers; the ends of said carrier members being provided with notched portions across which a wire to be tied is angularly positioned when said carrier members are moved into abutting position; and said wire tying fingers being adapted to rotate in such notched out portions and pick up said angularly disposed wire and twist the same together.

2. In a wire tying device, complemental slidably mounted carrier members; wire tying fingers rotatably mounted on said carrier members; means to extend a wire across the free ends of said carrier members; and means .to move said carrier members toward each other so that the wire extended across the end thereof will overlap the wire extended across the end of its complemental carrier member; means to out said wire upon the bringing together of said complemental carrier members; and means for rotating said wire tying fingers to twist the free ends of said wire together.

3. In a wire tying device complemental slidably mounted carrier members adapted to be moved into cooperative wire tying position; a supply of wire for each carrier member; means ion each member to engage and retain a portion of said wire about the free end of said member when said members are moved to wire tying position; means to cut the wire at the free end of said members; and means on each of said memhers to engage a cut wire of its complemental member to twist abutting cut wires together.

4. In a device for tying wire, a plurality of. slidabl'y mounted carrier members; a plurality of sleeve shafts on each member; means connected to rotate said shafts; wire tying fingers on said shafts; wire supply reels having a wire strand extending through certain of said sleeve shafts and having their free ends Joined together and adapted to encircle an article to be tied; means to move said carrier members to overlapping relation with each other and said sleeve shafts in substantially abutting relation to each other, and to move said wire strands about the free ends of said carrier members and into other sleeve shafts; and means to out said wire strands at the free ends of said members when moved to overlapping relation whereby upon rotation of saidv sleeve shafts the free ends of said wire will be twisted together.

5. In a wire tying device, complemental slidably mounted carrier members; wire tying fingers rotatably mounted on said carrier members; means to extend a wire across the free ends of said carrier members; and means to move said carrier members toward each other so that the wire extended across the end thereof will overlap the wire extended across the end of its complemental carrier member; means to frictionally engage the wire at the ends of said members when said members are moved to wire overlapping position; means to out said wire upon the bringing together of said complemental carrier members; and means for rotating said wire tying fingers to twist the free ends of said wire together.

6. In a wire tying device, complemental slidably mounted carrier members adapted to be moved into cooperative wire tying position; a supply of wire for each carrier member; means on each member to engage and retain a portion of said wire about the free end of said member when said members are moved to wire tying position; means to cut the wire at the free ends of said members; means to frictionally engage the wire at the free ends of said members; and means on each of said members to engage a cut wire end of its complemental member to twist abutting cut wire ends together.

7. In a device for tying wire, a plurality of wire strands extending from supply sources; means to cut said wire strands; means to frictionally engage the cut ends of said wire strands; and a wire tying element for each wire strand including wire tying means adapted to engage a wire strand from a supply other than the supply for such element and to twist the same about a wire strand from its supply.

8. In a wire tying device, supporting members; carrier members slidably mounted on said supporting members and adapted to be brought into sleeve shafts on each of said carrier members having extendedtherethrough wire from said wire supply reels; 2. tensioned wire engaging plate mounted on each-of said carrier members; means to move said carrier members into abutting and slightly overlapping position whereby said wire from said supply reels will be moved about said rollers and brought'dn'to engagement with said tension plate on an opposite carrier member; cutting means associated with said carrier members to cut said wires when said carrier members are moved into overlapping relation; wire tying fingers on each of said sleeve shafts; and means for rotating said wire tying fingers when said carrier members have been moved to cut said wires and thereby twist the free ends of said wires together.

9. The combination with a baling press, of means for feeding a wire across the baling chamher from each side thereof; means for moving said wires along said baling chamber and about a bale formed therein; means for causing said wire to encircle said bale and to be brought in slightly overlapping position; means to out said wire when in overlapping position; and a plurality of wire engaging fingers arranged to engage with and intertwist the free ends of said wire so as to leave a wire tied about said bales and across said baling chamber.

10. In a baling press having a compression chamber and a baling chamber; a compression plunger having in its forward face a transverse slot; an oscillatory member mounted in said slot and provided with a longitudinal slot; means extending from said oscillatory member and cooperating with cam means in said compression chamber to oscillate said member; wire twisting mechanisms arranged at opposite sides of said compression chamber; a wire extending from a supply of wire for each of said wire tying mechanisms; means to move said wire tying mechanisms toward each other into said longitudinal slot; and means to operate said wire twisting mechanisms to engage and twist together, wire from opposite supply spools, when said wire twisting mechanisms have been inserted in said longitudinal slot.

11. In a baling press having a compression chamber and a baling chamber; a compression plunger having in its forward face a transverse slot; an oscillatory member mounted in said slot and provided with a longitudinal slot; means extending from said oscillatory member and cooperating with cam means in said compression chamber to oscillate said member; wire twisting mechanisms arranged at opposite sides of said compression chamber; a wire extending from a supply of wire for each of said wire tying mechanisms; means to move said wire tying mechanisms towardeach other into said longitudinal slot; wire cutting and gripping means associated with said wire twisting mechanisms; and means to operate said wire twisting mechanisms to en gage and twist together wire, from opposite-supply spools, when said wire twisting mechanisms have been inserted in said longitudinal slot.

12. In a wire tying device, the combination of spools of wire having the free end portions of the wires joined together and extended across a passage-way in which an article to be tied is moved against said wires; and means cooperating with the wire from each spool of wire to form a loop of such wire between the article to be tied and the supply reel and operative to extend the bases of such loops across each other; means to out said wires at the bases of said loops; and means to twist the cut ends of said wires together so as to leave a wire tied about said article and the free ends of the wires from the supply reels tied together.

13. In a wire tying device, the combination of supply reels of wire having the free end portions of the wires joined together and extended across a passage-way in which an article to be tied is moved against said wires; and means cooperating with the wire from each spool of wire to form a loop of such wire between the article to be tied and the supply reel; means to frictionally engage said wires at the bases of said loops; means to out said wires at the bases of said loops; and means to twist the cut ends of said wires together so as to leave a wire tied about said article and the free ends of the wires from the supply reels tied together.

14. The combination with a passage-way in which an article to be tied is moved, of a wire supply on each side of said passage-way; means positioning a wire from each supply in front of each article to be tied across said passage-way with the ends of the wires from each supply united; means to move said article to be tied against said wires so as to extend the same about said article and along said passage-way; means for forming a loop in each wire between the article to be tied and said wire supply and be hind said article to be tied; means to out said wires at the bases of said loops; and means to twist the cut ends of said wire together so as to leave a wire tied about the article to be tied and united wires from said supplies extending across said passage-way.

FRED J. TRIMBLE. 

